And a bowl full of mush

Sweet Baby had his first taste of rice cereal this morning. He kept grabbing for our hands and the wrong end of the spoon, but other than that he did pretty well!

WFMW: Playing cards holder for wee (or arthritic?) hands

My kids love to play cards (Uno, Go Fish, etc.), but at 2 and 4 their little hands can not hold their cards. Solution: My mother-in-law was given these clever little holders by a church friend, and they really do work! Buddy and Sister love them, and I'm thinking they might be good for people with arthritis, too.

You need:

2 floppy plastic lids of the same size (from coffee, yogurt tubs, formula, etc.)

a bit of yarn

a thick needle (I used a big plastic one that my kids use to string beads.)

1. Put the two lids back to back, so the ridges are facing outward.

2. Sew the thread through the middle, then make a triangle. I pre-poked my holes, went through the middle, around for a triangle, then back through the middle. (Coffe lids actually have a little pattern you can follow, or at least my Maxwell House did.)

3. Hold the bottom like a fan, and insert your cards at the top. They should go in and out really easily, but stay put at the same time.

4. Enjoy!

Check out Rock's In My Dryer for more great ideas.

Lost and Found

We had a huge scare today in the Days house: Sister lost her Sausie. Now who, you ask, is Sausie? Well, Sausie is "her friend", her lovey, her can't-sleep-unless-I have it. Sausie, short for Sausage, is a rolled up Little Giraffe blanket that my friend Mary gave her when she was born. It was pink and soft, with a silky border. Sister attached herself to the blanket when she was quite tiny, and she kept pulling it over her face when she slept. To keep her from getting smothered, I rolled it and sewed it up, so it resembled a sausage. If you ask her, Sis will tell you that Sausie is a boy, and he has a head (yes, there is an up and a down) and feet, but that's it. To soothe herself, she puts her hands in the ends, where it used to be silky but is now so worn that he needs a haircut now and then. (Yes, she has gotten her finger stuck in a Sausie thread a few times.) Sausie now resembles a dog toy. There is no silkiness left. It has faded to a dingy peach color which Sis claims is white. I tried to replace it last year with a brand new one, even sewed it up exactly the same. But Sis will have nothing to do with fake Sausie blanket. She says its yucky.

Sausie went missing today before nap time. Sis, who was desperately tired, would not go to sleep (or stop screaming) until he was found. I tore the house apart*, not knowing what room, or even what floor he was on. Finally, I found him wedged between my mattress and my foot board. I have never felt so relieved as I did in that moment. I took Sausie in to Sis's room, kissed them both goodnap, and breathed.

*Buddy just came downstairs and commented, "Why is the house so messy?"

True Love's First Kiss

Buddy got his first kiss today.

We were across the street at the Coopers' house, and the kids decided to play dress-up. From my view from the porch steps, it looked like Buddy was playing the prince, and Sally the sleeping beauty on their sidewalk stage. Buddy gave her a nice big smooch on the forehead, and she awakened. They held hands and danced around like no one was watching, both with closed-mouth smiles, gazing into each other's eyes. Moments later, Sally smooched him back. More bliss.

A few minutes later, when it was time for us to go home for dinner, Buddy walked home on nothing but air. Ah, young love.

Update: After I told Hubs this story last night, he said, "No wonder he was so interested in the kissing scene in his story tonight!" Buddy likes to read from a Walt Disney storybook at night, and, coincidentally, Sleeping Beauty was the story of the day!

This morning's conversation:
Me: Buddy, have you ever kissed anybody?
Buddy: Yup. Sally.
Me: Why did you kiss her?
Buddy: Because Sally and me wanted me to.
Me: Why did you want to?
Buddy: Because I love her.

He smiles, goes back to playing with his trains, sweet innocence sparkling in his eyes.

Home again home again

We took another long weekend at the beach, and everybody had a great time. Sister went fitless all weekend, which emphasizes the fact that she thrives on action and attention. When we arrived home early this afternoon, she turned grouchy pretty much immediately. At one point she actually turned to me with accusatory eyes and shouted, "HEY! Who's making me sad?!"

I'm not exactly looking forward to Hubs going back to work tomorrow.

The Great Lillini

When we adopted our golden/lab/maybe chow dog, Lilly, her foster parents told us that she was a little escape artist. Little did we know that he great escapes would be so clever, brave, bold, and simply amazing, that she could probably put a great one-dog act together and headline in Vegas. A summary of her escapes, in no particular order:

1. As a wee pup: She was gated into the kitchen, and climbed over a safety gate.

2. Next day we raised it up a bit to make it harder to climb. So she went under. (Apparently she is much like a mouse.)

3. Day after that, we fitted an extra 2 foot board below the gate. She still climbed over the extra-tall gate. Then, get this-- She opened a window, and punched through the screen to get outside. I'm serious.

4. Numerous times, she has dug under fences.

5. One of my favorites: From the fenced backyard, she pulled off the crawlspace door cover thing, went under the house via the crawlspace, pulled off another door cover, this time at the unfenced side of the house, and voila.

6. Another favorite: Over a 6-foot fence. Yes, over. I think she jumped up on the roof of her doghouse, then just went for it. Down 6 feet on the other side.

7. She can open any standard gate. She'll bat at it until it opens a bit, then grab it and open it more.

8. Most recently, she let herself out our kitchen door. We found her wandering the neighborhood, and were quiet confused as we knew we'd left her inside and that the doors were closed!

9. She has gone through a fence. She whacked at a picket until it snapped, then went on through.

Other strange Lilly facts:

1. She can open the lever-style door handles, and does it frequently. We have to make sure to lock the backdoor when she's outside, otherwise she'll let herself back in, bringing whatever other creatures with her.

2. She used to come to me whenever I sneezed. This was not a good thing when she was riding in the car with me. 70 lb dog on lap = not so safe.

3. Now she's afraid of coughs. I fake cough when I want her to go away.

4. She loves laying on our porch table. And standing.

5. She used to climb up on our outdoor grill a lot.

6. She curls herself up on our deck chairs, and rests her chin on the armrest.

7. She loves the snow. She would stay out in it all night if we let her.

8. She is super sweet with the baby and kids. She lets them climb all over her. She's very maternal like that, it seems.

9. Nickname: Whirl, Lilly Girl, Lil, Willy Wirl, Lal

This is a photo of our circus dog with Baby Buddy, who was probably about 8 months.

WFMW: Build character through chocolate: Allergen-free cake

Food allergic children have an especially hard time with party food. Most, including my peanut allergic and formerly egg-allergic Buddy, actually have to bring their own cupcakes to parties. How sad is that? Here's my plea to the non-allergic world: Consider the dietary needs of your child's allergic friends when planning your next party. Try to make them feel normal. Part of the crowd. Include your own child in this decision. Talk about how all people are different, and that it is our job figure out a way to meet everybody's needs. By making a cake that everyone can eat, you are teaching your child to accommodate others with special needs. Teaching a lesson in empathy and kindness and acceptance and compromise. Not to mention that fact that the allergic child will be elated that he will be able to eat the "regular" birthday cake*, just like everybody else. Everybody wins with Buddy's chocolate cake!

This is a recipe that is cheap, quick, easy, "all-natural", and free of the majority of common allergens. It is egg free, peanut free, nut free, soy free, dairy free, fish free, shellfish free, MSG free, and food dye free.**

Buddy's Character-building Allergen-free Chocolate Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour (This rules out wheat-allergic kids. Sorry, guys.)
2 cups sugar
6 T baking cocoa
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup canola oil
2 t white vinegar
2 t vanilla extract

Mix it all together in a big bowl.
Pour into a greased 13X9 pan. (I usually do lined cupcakes instead.)
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. (Cupcakes take more like 20-25 min.)
Freezes beautifully.

*Do not be surprised or offended if an allergic child refuses to eat your cake, even after his mom OKs it. Some kids are so well-trained (or afraid of their epi-pen) that they just won't eat it.
**Don't forget to check ingredients in whatever frosting you chose.

Please remember to check all foods/ingredients with the allergic child's parents. Save all of the labels of the food you're serving so the parents can check them for allergens. Thank you, and enjoy your cake!

Note: This cake is delicious, so even if allergens aren't a concern, try it out!

Don't forget to stop by Shannon's place for other great ideas.

Stars of the Sea

My older sissy and her little ones founds tons of sea stars at the beach last week. Here's proof. Aren't they cool creatures?

the Chocolate Chip Disaster

Buddy insisted on having chocolate chips for breakfast. Being a normal mom, I said, "No, Bud, we don't eat chocolate chips for breakfast. Maybe later." Angry and horrified with my answer, he throws the 3 pound bag of chips on the floor. They create a chocolate mountain, which he (along with the doofier of our two dogs) begins to shovel into his little mouth, huge handful by huge handful. Meanwhile, as I've totally lost control of the situation, I'm still saying, "No, no chocolate chips," and "Please clean up the mess," and, "Stop eating the chips!" It wasn't until I convinced him that they were all covered with dog drool that he stopped. His consequence: He wouldn't get the surprise honeybun I bought on a milk-run to Sev (7-11) last night. I'd actually bought the thing as a bribe, intending to put the kids on sugar highs in the morning so they wouldn't care too much about Hubs being out of town. But my plan sure backfired, huh? Instead of sugar-happy kids I get a really great fit and fudgie dog puke all over my one nice Persian rug.

It's been a lovely morning, really.

Crowning Glory

Sister, at 2 years old, has gorgeous hair. It's thick. And long. And it has those sun-kissed highlights that people pay tons of money for. And don't forget the loose, corkscrew curls at the bottom. It's really, truly gorgeous.

Friends and strangers alike always comment on her hair. "Oh, look at that hair!", or "Oh, Sister's hair is so long!" or "What I wouldn't do for that hair!" And Sister soaks. it. up. She knows that it's beautiful. She'll sit and brush it lovingly. Hold it back gingerly when she leans over to talk to Sweet Baby. And she has to be in just the right mood to allow anyone to touch it. This morning, she was combing her hair, not quite effectively, as she was using the wrong side of the comb. For some reason, I really wanted to brush it, too. (The right way, of course.) It's like my inner 8 year-old took over and all I could think about was brushing those long locks and "playing hair". So, here's what happened:

Me: Sis, could I brush your hair now?

Sis: No, not right now.

Me: Sis, I really want to brush your hair.

Sis: No, Mommy, it's my turn.

Me: Please?

Sis: No, Mommy. And stop whining!

And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over!"

Huge update! Sweet Baby (finally) rolled his chunky almost-five-month-old self over! Hip hip, hooray!

There were three in the bed. . .

Sister, apparently, is suddenly afraid of thunder.

Last night, a huge summer storm came in around 8pm. Hubs and I were so psyched-- it's Friday night, the kids are in bed, a loud rain to cool things off around here. Sister started banging on her crib, then crying, then screaming in fear. We ran upstairs and she was wide awake, talking about how loud the "funder" is. We gave her hugs and rubs and put her back in her crib, but she wouldn't let us go. Hmmm. I got my pillow and laid on her floor. Nope, that wasn't good enough. She wanted Daaaaaaaaddy! He tried the floor, too uncomfortable. SO, get this, we decided to break a rule that we'd set back when we had Buddy: No kids sleeping in our bed. We just had decided that we wanted our bed to be ours, and that if the kiddies ever needed us, we'd go to their rooms. And it's always worked fine that way. (Our bed is still a place for kiddo snuggles and jumping, just not sleeping.) But last night, the sweetness in Sissy's face, the real fear in her tiny body, it just made us want to snuggle her to sleep, keep her safe in our bed. So we plopped her right in the middle of the two of us. She was thrilled, elated, so excited to be "sleeping" in our bed that she just couldn't stay still for the longest time. The last thing I remember is seeing her rubbing both Hubby's and my backs, like she was supposed to be soothing us to sleep. Hubs transferred her into her crib in the middle of the night, and she never said anything today about sleeping with us. I'm sorta hoping she doesn't remember, just so she doesn't expect it again. Then again, it really was a nice night.

Works for Me Wednesday: Teaching Babies to Sleep

Hubs and I have been blessed with three good sleepers. Make that great sleepers. But as much as I think that luck and genetics has have a lot bit to do with it, I also think that we worked really hard to teach them to sleep. I read every book, talked seriously with pediatricians and more experienced moms, and took each baby's sleep as being as important to their health as his/her eating.

Note: I'm definitely not an expert, not even close. Plus, all three of my babies were easy, calm, mild, full-term, big, healthy, and soothable. Just so you know.

Here's what worked for my little ones, in very random order:

1. Take sleep very seriously.
2. Watch for sleepy cues. (rubbing eyes, turning head, pulling ears, whimpering, etc.) When you notice them, it's time for bed. Don't let baby get overtired.
3. Never keep a baby awake for longer than 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. Try to follow a wake/ nap/ feeding routine, in that order. (With the exception of bedtime, which should follow a feeding.)
5. Use a pacifier early on. Babies need and love to suck, and sometimes Momma needs a break. All three of mine took breast, binky, and bottle, no problems/confusion/preference. I know a lot of people who are much more educated on the topic will say otherwise, but I had no problems.
6. Put newborn baby to sleep in the car seat/infant carrier thing. It's cozier, more womb-like, it's in a great position for babies with reflux, plus you can tote it around!
7. Use a sound machine in the nursery.
8. Use a lovey early on. Make sure it's safe!
9. Line your baby's crib with your dirty laundry. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Try this: At the end of the day, instead of putting your shirt in the wash, put it in baby's crib, so he can smell your scent and feel your presence. (This makes me think that baby's are a bit like dogs with their super sniffers, but it really worked for our #3, who was quiet attached to me and slept only on my chest for the first 3 weeks.) Again, think about safety here: Don't put anything where baby can get to it. This should only be used for really young babies, who can't move their bodies and grab a shirt.
10. Be very consistent with your nap/bed routine. It should read like a script. Diaper change. Sleep sack. Binky in. Rocking chair. Book. Soft lullaby. Sweet goodnight words. Rub the forehead. Walk away. Close the door. (Use the same book, same lullaby, same goodnight words every time.)
11. Don't rush in if you hear your baby stir. Give them a moment to self-soothe. Do go to him if he cries: Re-plug with the binky, rub his belly, etc. (Sweet Baby needing constant replugging until 9 weeks, when he found his thumb.) But don't assume that the nap is over if it's been less than an hour. Keep trying to get him to sleep.
12. Use baby massage.
13. Find their soothing spot: Sister was lulled to sleepiness when I rubbed between her eyebrows. For Sweet Baby, it's his cheek and forehead.
14. Try to get your baby to sleep without motion. (Avoid the swing, car, stroller.)
15. Talk to your pediatrician. If she can't help you, talk to another pediatrician.
16. In the first few weeks, just get him to sleep any way you can. Break all of the rules if you want to. Focus on the nursing and healing and bonding and resting and all of that newborn stuff. Just do make sure that he gets sleep, whether it's on your chest or in the swing or whatever. I didn't start thinking about anything sleep training-wise until 4-6 weeks. Around 6-8 weeks is when I really started to focus on getting them in their cribs (or car seat still for Buddy), establish a routine, etc. I think 2-3 months is when my pediatrician said you should definitely establish things the way you want them to be.
17. Once your baby starts sleeping through the night consistently, if he does wake up in the middle of the night one day, try to soothe him without nursing him. There's a really good chance he's not hungry. He might just need to hear your voice, have a cuddle, a burp, a fresh dipe, or a rub on the belly.
18. If possible, keep older siblings out of baby's bedtime routine. Allow them to say goodnight, then it's just you and baby.
19. Read Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child and The Baby Whisperer. Take what you can from them.
20. Swaddle. We used receiving blankets but now they have these cool Velcro swaddling blankets.

Anyway, this is what worked for my babies. Hopefully you'll find something here that will work for you, too! For more terrific tips, visit Shannon's Rockin' Blog.

Back from the Beach

Hubs and Buddy after a good swim in the Atlantic:

Yes, Sister is screaming in this pic. We didn't know why at the time, but it turns out she was mad that Buddy was holding Sweet Baby and she wasn't. Why can't she just say, "Mommy, can I hold Sweet Baby?" Oh, right, because she's 2. And spirited. And because that would be way too simple!

Here we have Buddy fishing with Grampa, Hubs's dad. There were no fish involved. Not even any bait. But Bud had a blast, I think. In his quiet sort of way.

The kids had so much fun, and actually slept just fine this time! They loved the ocean, the sand, the time with their Daddy (especially Sis, who has him tightly wrapped) and Gramma/Grampa, and the ice cream. And I loved the extra hands, the company, and the time away from home. No, I should say the time away from house, not home. It's so nice to sit and play and read and relax without thinking, "Hmmm, I should really go put a load of laundry on." But I really think the worst part of vacation, no matter how long, is coming back. The unpacking, the laundry, the "oh my gosh I can't believe I left the house like this", the deprogramming of the kids, the still non-beachy air, the "what do you mean I have to cook dinner tonight?", and did I mention the laundry?

My Sweet, Sweet Boy

Sometimes the sweetness of my little 4 year-old baffles me. Amazes me. I think, like, I'm not that sweet, so how did he get so sweet? He is such a tiny little man to have such a big heart. Some good examples of his tenderness (For reminders on a not-so-sweet day):

1. When he was playing cards with Gramma Dot (my maternal grandmother, so his great-grandmother), he kept winning, over and over. And she kept losing, over and over. He was so concerned that he actually "fixed" the next game so she would win. Really. He wanted to lose.

2. When a baby toy falls on the floor, he puts it in the laundry for me-- without my asking-- so his baby brother "doesn't get germs".

3. He tilts his head when he coos to his baby brother. And he rubs his belly. And he always says goodnight.

4. He insists on geting a cold Coke from the fridge for cable guys, delivery guys, any kind of guys who are doing any kind of work in or near our house. Or down the street.

5. Today we delivered sympathy cards to our neighbor across the street who lost her 94 year-old mom. Buddy drew her a beautiful flower "to make her happy". His note read, "Dear Jan, I'm sorry that your mommy died. I love you! Love, Buddy". After delivering, we walked back home, Buddy with a huge grin on his face. "I'm so happy!" he squeeled. He really feels good when he makes others feel good. This impresses me.

6. He holds doors for me. OK, sometimes he lets them go before I'm all the way through, but he tries. Today he grabbed the front of Sweet Baby's stroller (I was pushing the back) and helped guide it through the door at the mall. I didn't ask, and he wasn't looking for recognition. He just did it cause he knew I needed help.

7. When my grandfather died last year, and Buddy was just shy of 3 years old, he painted an all-red picture for Gramma Dot, since Poppop's favorite color was red. (He also told her she cold take it to heaven with her when she dies!)

8. This morning, we were out on the front porch, rocking/drinking coffee/just enjoying. It started to rain really hard, really loud on the porch roof. Knowing that our doofy dog Samson is afraid of the rain, Buddy got up from his rocker, opened the front door, took Samson inside with him and led him to the powder room, a.k.a. Samson's storm shelter. When Buddy came back out, he just sat on down and started rocking again. Just taking care of business.

8. There are SO many more to add to the list. . .He's going to make such an amazing husband someday. (Gulp!)

Note to self: Re-read this post tomorrow when he tackles his sister and pulls her hair.

Patience, Mommy, Patience.

As I try to teach my kids about kindness, hard work, discipline, acceptance, and all those good things that make nice people, I see my own weaknesses. Today, it was my patience. Or I guess I should say my impatience.

The kids and I were sitting around the table, eating some snack and reading a new book, The Jesus Storybook Bible. Buddy is really into it, he's really into Biblical stories, he "gets" most of it, and the vocab is right on his level. And, a lot like yours truly, he likes to listen and take it all in, mull it over in his own mind. Then you have Miss Sis, who at 2 has a great vocab and understands a lot, but not all. Plus, she likes to discuss everything out loud with other people. It's like introverts (Buddy and Moi) versus extrovert (Sister). Ok, so here goes the story of Noah:
Me: Then God shut the door.
Sis: Why he shut the door?
Me: To keep the rain out.
Sis: Why it rain?
Me: To clean the earth.
Sis: Why it needs to be cleaned?
Me: The people had turned bad.
Sis: Why they turned bad?
Me: They turned away from God.
Sis: Why they turned away from God?
Me: Sis, let's just read the story, OK?

Ok, wait a second. Did I really just say that? Yes, I really did! And I said something very similar in the next story! I really couldn't believe myself, especially as a former elementary teacher, that I basically told her to stop asking questions! Twice! I could "blame" my behavior on Buddy, tell myself that I wanted her to stop asking questions so he could hear the story, but he didn't seem bothered at all. Not a bit. So it's me, my impatience, my needing to slow down and meet Sister's needs rather than my own need to plunge ahead. And who's teaching whom here?

Lesson learned, I hope. I'll try.

Threats

Frequently heard in our house:

"Please put your pajamas on."--No response.
"Buddy, please put your pajamas on." --Still nothing.
"Buddy, if you don't put your pajamas on by the time I get to three, then (Insert consequence here.)" --Suddenly Buddy puts his pajamas on pretty quick.

Usually the consequence is something really simple, like "I'll take away your favorite truck", or, "You won't be able to ride your bike this afternoon," whatever. And it almost always works. It really doesn't bother me too much that it happens, I just feel like it's part of teaching him to obey. To me, obedience has to be taught, just like the value of honesty, hard work, etc. No big deal, nothing to be upset about. Just part of helping him grow.

BUT. . .I heard Hubs say to Buddy the other day, "I just wish I didn't have to threaten you all of the time!"

Hmmm. I've never really thought of it as making threats. More like defining consequences. Or reminding him of cause and effect. Maybe helping him make good choices. But threats? When I think about it, though, I guess that's really what it is. Threats. So now am I a mean mom for "threatening" my son all the time? One more thing to think about!

Works for Me Wednesday (Potty Training Tips)

My two older kids (a boy then a girl) potty trained painlessly at 26 and 27 months. I used ideas I heard and read here, there, and pretty much everywhere. You've probably heard it all before, but this is what worked for us:

1. Introduce the potty chair around 15-18 months. Put one in your bathroom, and encourage your toddler to sit on it whenever she wants. Eventually, make it part of your routine. (Sit on it after bath, or before brushing teeth, or before getting dressed, whatever.)

2. Make a HUGE deal when something-- anything-- ends up in the potty. Have a party. Jump up and down. Call (or pretend to call) a special person in front of your child so he hears your gush about how proud you are. Give him a special sticker to put on his potty lid.

3. When you're ready to actually potty train, pick a weekend when you don't have plans, and when your husband will be home to help. Talk it up with your child for at least a week prior. Take her to the store with you and let her pick out all candy that she wants as "potty treats". I know a lot of people use M&Ms, but Buddy has a peanut allergy, so we use jelly beans, Skittles, Pez, and Smarties. Put all the treats in a visible yet unreachable place for a few days leading up to The Big Weekend.

4. When Saturday morning arrives, explain to your child what's going on. Make sure the diapers are gone, and put some underpants on him or just let him go naked. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Tell him to stay dry until then. When the timer goes off, it's potty time! Sit him on the potty. Sing songs. Read books. Look at photo albums. Do anything to pass the time until something happens. If he doesn't go, it's "Good job! You tried your best! You stayed dry!!! We'll try again in a few minutes!" If he does go, it's a party. (See Tip #2) Set the timer again. . . .Repeat all weekend. Eventually, you'll end up setting the timer for 20 and then 30 minutes, and then not at all.

5. Reward with candy. I know, it's so bad to reward with food, but this is a huge thing in their lives, and I promise not to do it again. Give one piece for staying dry, two pieces (total) for tinkles, and three pieces (total) for poopies. That way you're rewarding not just for going in the potty, but for not going on your floor, which is the real goal. If there's a big brother in the house, he gets candy, too, for being such a big helper and for cheering on his little sis. I found this helps minimize the jealousy that might come from Miss Trainee getting so much attention, and emphasizes the overall coolness of being the big kid and longtime Master of the Potty.

6. NO pullups or diapers on when you go out. Wrong message. Just don't go out. OR bring the potty with you if you absolutely must leave the house. We toted Sister's potty around in the wagon on her Big Weekend.

Anyway, these ideas really worked for us. Hopefully they'll work for you, too!

2 going on 14

A few of the things that Sister said to me today, with all of the drama and energy a 2 year-old could possibly find:

"You're a mean mommy!"

"I'll poke your eye!!"

"I'll pull your arm off!!!"

Oh my goodness, where have I gone wrong? Where could she possibly get these words and ideas? I know Buddy might have given her a few select phrases that he could have picked up at preschool, but these are hers and hers alone. Is it normal to speak with that kind of anger and aggression? I know that she doesn't really mean what she says, so my feelings are not touched, but I am a bit upset that she feels so strongly that she needs to say these sort of things. And just so you know, these comments were in reponse to 1. not giving her a (non-existant) yellow paintbrush instead of the green one and 2. suggesting that she eat one more bite of broccoli so that she could have some ice cream. By the way, you should totally see her face when she talks this way. So serious, so intense. But then she flips that switch and it's back to her adorable, angelic, loveable self. What's the scariest part of all of this? She is SO me. (Sorry, Hubs.)

Buddyism

I was babbling nonsense to Sweet Baby as the whole gang was on the way up the steps to put him down for his morning nap. He giggled and glowed, as always, and somewhere in my nonsense came, "You're such a happy baby!"

Buddy chimed in, "He never cries like other babies,"

"You're right," I reply.

"Maybe God made him that way," he concludes.

Amen, Brother, Amen.

I want my babies back babies back babies back

I recently began carrying Sweet Baby around on my hip. This makes me feel like he's getting so big! And Sis recently began going up and down the steps own her own, and with confidence. (She fell down the whole flight at about 18 months, and we'd been overly cautious with her since then.) Put two and two together: Today I walked downstairs with Sis in front of me, on her own, and Sweet Babes on my hip. No one was holding my hand. No one needed me to support his head. No one really needed me at all. It felt good, but then sad. Like it's nice to have moments of growth and increased independence, but I don't want it to happen to fast.

To top it off, I figured out that at 26.5 inches long, Sweet Baby is too big for his infant car seat carrier thing. Time for a big boy car seat! Seems the thing about kids, especially babies, is just as soon as you think you've got it all figured out, get your routine down, they throw you for a loop, and you have to figure it all out again. Like what stroller will I use now that I can't use my beloved Snap and Go? And how will I get all three kids in and out of the car without being able to set the carrier down? And what about coming back in? I'm being dramatic, I know I'll figure it all out. But I'm not big on change, no matter how slight. Plus, with SB being our last baby, I just want him to slow down. . .

Shut it down!!!

The other day, Buddy really wanted to set up a lemonade stand. He suggested we sell it for $2 per dixie cup. . .Since we didn't have any lemonade (I don't think we've ever had lemonade), we decided on cold tap water. Fancy stuff. And I convinced him that we would "sell" more if we sold it for free. He agreed. Smart kid, huh? Out we went to our front yard. He proudly set up his water stand in the wagon, and plopped himself down to wait for his customers. We had a whopping 5 people who graciously "bought" cups of our free water. Each time, Bud kept a very serious face while carefully pouring the water, but when the customer left, he'd break into this sweet smile that he didn't want anybody to see. I'm not sure why he tries to hide his joy sometimes, maybe wanting to look cool, like it was no big deal? Who knows, but it was definitely cute. Anyway, after the 5th customer left, Miss Sis decided-- without telling/asking me-- that she would pop a squat right there in our front yard! I'm not sure where she got this idea, I mean Bud has gone in the backyard into a tree before, but the front?! This was only a week or two into potty training, so maybe she just had to go. Amazingly, she didn't get anything wet aside from the grass and the sidewalk. Feeling the situation was a bit unsanitary, the health inspector (me) shut down the water stand. Luckily, Buddy agreed with me, and we all went in for lunch.

SuperBuddy

Buddy loves playing dress-up, but dress-ups for little boys are somewhat limited, so he often resorts to creating a crazy fireman/superhero outfit, as evidenced in this photo, which I love by the way. He was so proud of his oufit that he actually went out on the front porch "so everyone can see me". Not shown: red short shorts, and too-big firefighter boots on his skinny chicken legs. Adorable.

Sister's Switch

On the way down from the third floor, I say quiet gently, "Sissy, hold mommy's hand."

Her reply, in stern mommy-tone, "Mommy, do not talk to Sister that way!"

Shocked, I have no reponse and continue down the steps.

Three seconds and two steps later, in her sugary sweet, goody-two-shoes voice, "Momma, can you hold my hand please?"

Man, if I could just get ahold of her on/off switch!

The kids "took me out to lunch" today, to the Burger King drive thru (why is it spelled like that?)! Well, I got my Diet Coke and I was happy. Anyway, Buddy insisted on "paying with his own money", and although I said that I would pay, he kept at it. At bedtime, he went right to his piggy bank and proudly handed me two quarters. So sweet. . .

Happy Birthday to Me

Wow, 31 candles. Says Sis, "Woah, that's a LOHT!"

I went out and chopped my hair last night. I'm too old and not nearly cute enough for a plain old shaggy old pony tail. I went for the swiny bob, it's fine. Hairlady tried to tell me to get highlights to cover up my gray. GRAY?!?! I mean, I knew I had some stragglers (they're silver and culry, much different texture than the rest of my hair. So weird.), but are there so many that I need to actually cover them up? Anyway, I told her I'd think about it. I don't want to be gray, but I don't want to be a slave to highlights either.

The Kids woke me this morning with bags of gifts: An electric tea kettle that I'd asked for, a new toothbrush that Buddy picked out, a great Yankee candle (I LOVE the scent), new RED sheets (Why red, you ask? Hmmmm....), and some terrific homemade birthday cards. They were so excited to give everything too me, especially Buddy. I asked for some snuggle time after presents, and they lasted for about 90 seconds, but they tried really hard. Bud served cholcolate cake for breakfast (Which I had made with him the day before, but Hubs iced with them in the morning), which was just lovely until Sis started SCREAMING for milk. "MIIIILK!!!! MIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLKKKKKKK!"

We proceeded to have an interesting morning, the kind where they're both feeling punchy so they aggravate each other until it's a circus. They just can't leave each other alone! Things got better after we went outside for some sidewalkchalking.

Hubs and I will venture to OPearl tonight for a super fancy dinner (not really, but I'm excited) after the kiddos are tucked in. And that's my birthday!

The No Nap Transition

Buddy has been on and off napping for the last several months. And I know that at four years old, it's time! But why is it so hard? I've decided that it's mostly the inconsistency that bothers me-- The not knowing if he's going to nap, therefore not knowing what time he'll go to bed that night, or if he'll put up a fuss at night because he's either too tired from not napping or not tired from yes napping. So anyway, this week I've decided not to put him down for naps, just to set him up in his room with books, toys, whatever, and tell him what time to come down. (It's usually an hour, but sometimes he'll come down at 2:03 instead of 2:30). It's been working pretty well, but still think he could use a nap. The little ones are napping at this time, too, which makes it impossible for us to get out. . .But night time has been SO much nicer, and he's right to bed by 7:30. (I'd rather 7, but it's impossible to get it all done by then!)

Some things I want to record before I forget:

Bud to Sis on the way up to the 3rd floor the other day, "I'm right behind ya, sis. If you fall, I'll catch you." (Oh my gosh he is SO sweet with her! Most of the time that is)

Buddyism: cooler = "beer tank"

Sis to Sweet Baby, regularly= Hello, toot baby! Have a nice nap?? (Head always tilted, voice impossibly high)

Tomorrow is my 31st bday! Crazy stuff, but really no big deal. Hubs and I are going out for sushu, hooray!